Small “jumping” white bugs? - Ask Extension
In certain places in my yard, I’m finding very small, what look almost like white eggs— slightly translucent but mostly white. They seem like tiny...
Knowledgebase
Small “jumping” white bugs? #656860
Asked June 27, 2020, 3:23 PM EDT
In certain places in my yard, I’m finding very small, what look almost like white eggs— slightly translucent but mostly white. They seem like tiny rice kernels but it seems when I move the foliage they seem to “jump” or rain down like rice falling (but going in all directions). Any idea what this is or if I should be stopping them? I took a couple of pictures but they are so small it is hard to see. One looked a little curved.
Multnomah County Oregon
Expert Response
Thank you for your question. I have tried to see the insect(s) by enhancing the photo resolution, but can see nothing distinctly. Since Extension offices are still closed, you can send them to the OSU Insect ID Clinic: http://sites.science.oregonstate.edu/bpp/insect_clinic/
Sorry we can’t help more. Good luck!
Ok, i took one of these tiny white jumping things and put them under a microscope. I noticed they are found with a small red “bug”? These are pictures i took through the microscope (it’s a kids microscope, not very powerful). The red bugs look more like aphids but couldn’t see any legs or anything. Could they be springtails?
Sorry, the white one is here
Thanks for the photos. Jumping white insects certainly fits the description of springtails. Perhaps you can compare your insects with the ones pictured in this Extension article, and see if they appear to be the adult stage: http://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn74136.htm
Hope this is helpful.
Hope this is helpful.
This link does not work for me.
Sorry. Does this? http://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn74136.html
(I think the final ‘l’ was truncated.)
Thank you, that worked. Doesn’t look like my pictures really. Are there aphids of other bugs that at some larvae stage don’t have legs? If not, I am wondering if these might be seeds not bugs, but I can’t imagine how they “jump” so high...
They either have legs or they cannot jump. I've never heard of any jumping seeds. I can try putting your photos up on an insect ID website, but I know that the response I'll get is "too unclear." Their shape resembles a pill bug: https://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=12567
